Peace
by readingirl4030
Summary: James T. Kirk spent half of his life off planet. born in a space battle, he would never get the chance to be a normal kid, but James Kirk became great man, and James Kirk worked for peace.   AU


The idea for this story was from a book about the Children's Movement for Peace in Columbia called Out of War. It's an amazing and inspiring book full of the kid's real life experiences. I recommend it to everyone.

James T Kirk spent half of his life off planet. Born in the middle of space as his father died, he was bought promptly back to earth, back to dusty old Iowa. He spent 7 years in Iowa, started school there, learned to read there. At 7 years old, his mother got so depressed she ended up in the hospital with 2 slashed wrists. That was the first time Jim left earth. He never went back.

Shipped off to a world called Mansley III he lived for a year and a half with his distant uncle who did nothing but drink and lay around. When he was 8 and a half almost 9, his uncle was murdered by one of the many gangs of the planet. Jim watched.

After Mansley III came Tarsus IV with his 3rd cousin and 4th cousins, their children. After Mansley III came hell. The first year passed in relative calm besides the school fights and gang fights and armed robbers. By 10 years old, Jim was playing and getting into fights. By the time the fungus began spreading, Jim was starting to be a normal kid again. And he was a genius.

When the fungus spread and Kodos took the spot of governor, Jim was 10 years old. He was a tough little boy with a tough past, but he wasn't stupid. When people began to be pulled out of their homes and were never seen again, he took his young cousins, all 3 of them, and with the blessing of his "aunt" and "uncle", they ran. The 5 year old clung to his neck and the 2 seven year olds ran beside them.

By morning they were sleeping in a hidden cave they'd found a while back. Jim would venture into the cities once or twice a week. He used saved money to buy food or he stole it. Gradually, more and more children joined them in the cave. One day Jim was almost caught. Knowing he may be followed, he wandered the forest until he knew they were gone. The children were more important. Rushing back to the kids, now numbering at 16, he found they were playing on scavenged chess boards, waiting worriedly- but silently- for his return.

When Jim was 9 he was 95 pounds. At age 10 ½ he weighed 67 pounds and had a pneumonia. Of the 16 children in the cave all but 4 survived. Atfer spending half a year in the hospital, Jim was 11. At 11 ½ he was on another planet, this one closer to home. Pluto. Pluto was decently peaceful. Besides a few gangs, almost 12 year old Jim lived in peace.

He also didn't talk. His entire 6th grade year he said nothing. For a year and a half he had had no schooling, but he had the highest grades in 6th grade. And he was mute.

His Great "aunt" on Pluto was 67 years old with 2 grown sons and a dead husband. She cared for Jim like a son. It was Aunt Catherine or Aunt Kate, who brought Jim to the community center to meet with the other children for the first time.

Pluto was a bit of a refugee planet. Many aliens and humans would arrive on Pluto to escape their lives. But Pluto wasn't perfect. People did die in the fights between strong rivaling gangs and kids fought each other constantly. But it was a lot better the Mansley III or Tarsus IV.

At the community center in Calmasa, a big city in Pluto, there were 100 children of various races and species standing around the gymnasium. Aunt Kate left Jim there, told him to have fun, and walked away to eat, saying she'd be back in 2 hours. He was 12.

Jim Kirk stood awkwardly in the background as children laughed and joked and talked all around him. He was staring at his feet when a shy voice said "Hi. My names Jackman. What's your name?"

Looking up, startled, Jim saw a young blue boy. His eyes were dark brown, his hair dark brown, and his skin was blue. When Jim didn't respond he said "you should come now. We're starting."

Allowing himself to be dragged to a large table in the center of the room, he wondered at the number of happy, smiling aliens surrounding him.

"Welcome children. I understand there are some new kids here trying out the Pluto Children's Coalition. Why don't you all stand and give us your names"

Pushed up by Jackman, he stood and stared at his feet. Around the table, both shy kids and boisterous kids were stating their names, place of birth and place growing up.

When they came to him, he simply pointed at his name tag that stated Jim.

"and where were you born Jim?"

Leaning down, Jim scribbled out space on a sheet of paper. Jackman read out the word with a slightly bemused look on his face before shaking it off and looking back at him.

"And where did you grow up Jim. Can you say it. I want to hear your voice. We all do."

All around him kids were smiling and nodding at him.

After a long silence Jim finally managed to croak out "Everywhere"

"Very good Jim. Now that we know each other, I believe its time to have some fun. Unless of course you'd rather start homework?

"NO!" yelled the kids. They were laughing.

With that everyone began unrolling large mats.

Eyebrows up, Jim turned to look at Jackman. He quickly said, "Gymnastics. Come on. Its fun."

They walked to a mat surrounded by people about their age. The kids took off their shoes. Jim took off his shoes. They stood onto the mat and so did Jim.

"Well kids. It time to stretch!"The instructor, maybe 17, smiled and the all sat.

For one hour they tumbled. That was not the class where Jim smiled though. That wasn't next week or the next. Jim smiled for the first time in years, a month later. He spoke a month after that. But he still didn't talk anywhere else.

His first sentence was said around the table with 30 other kids. Around the kids went, each saying what they wanted most. In a normal group of kids, it would be a pony or a video game. These kids though were all refugees. When it came to Jim, instead of writing for Jackman to read, he gathered all his courage and said "I want peace."

The instructor, Chasley, a 37 year old alien, was the one to start clapping. Everyone joined in within seconds.

"now that's it! Peace. Most of you, if not all of you said you wanted something related to peace. You 30 are here alone because you want peace. This is a special meeting where, if you'd like to keep coming, we can talk of peace. And we can all begin trying for peace. What do you think."

"Why. What's the point of talking about peace? We can't do anything. We're just kids" came an exclamation from Farsis, a young girl of 13.

"Kids are making a difference everywhere. Don't forget that you are the future. Kids have power. All of you have seen war, fighting, and horror. You can tell people, help people. Try to make peace."

A half a year later, after 2 or 3 meetings a week and various meetings with officials the Children's Intergalactic Peace Movement was born. Jim was an original founding member. He was 12 ½.

That month he began to talk. Not a lot, but if asked an opinion in a meeting or asked for ideas, he would say them. It was also that month that he began to talk in school. One day, a Tuesday, he simply raised his hand in class. Without thinking the teacher called on him. He said the right answer. That was it. That was the beginning.

He left Pluto again at age 13. This time it was only for a week. He went on a weeklong trip with some of the other founding members to a children's rights meeting on a federation planet in another solar system. The meeting was a success. That year there was a vote for children on Pluto. The gangs opposed it, but it went on. The question was what right was most important to you. Of the answers, the majority picked peace. The 2nd most was education. That inspired 12 other planets to have a children's vote. The coalition moved to other planets. Representatives went to get it started.

The year Jim was 14 years old, he was one of 12 originals to be selected to go to Washington D.C to a federation wide children's rights meetings.

Standing on the shuttle, Jim found he couldn't sleep. It took 7 hours to get from Pluto to Earth at the slow speed the shuttle was going. They had boarded the shuttle at the Calmasa Air Station 6 hours ago. Jim was scared.

It had now been 7 years since he'd set foot on Earth. 7 long long years. He had changed so much since Iowa. A bright bubbly boy with a depressed mother to a talking, slightly optimistic yet sarcastic genius of a 14 year old.

Talking comfortably now. He wasn't anywhere near as talkative as other 14 year olds but he spoke regularly. It wasn't even possible to describe Aunt Kate's joy when Jim had talked to her for the first time. She was 69 now, and Jim now handled most of the yard work.

But most importantly, Jim now worked for peace. 2 days a week he went to the community center and met with the other important or founding members of the Children's Intergalactic Peace Movement. They would brainstorm and plan. There was now a Holovision where they could immediately talk to other groups or politicians. It had really grown.

But standing here, watching Earth slowly come into view, Jim just wanted to run and hide. He wouldn't though.

"Hey JT. Finally going back huh."

"Yeah Jack. Wish I was still on Pluto though."

"It'll be fine. It's just Washington. We'll make a few speeches, explain a bit and be done with it. No Iowa. No memories."

"I guess" he sighed "let's go back to the others. They'll be wondering by now."

They walked back in silence. By the time they left the shuttle and stepped onto the ground, Jim was confident again. They walked the mall that day, and went to two Smithsonian museums. It was a great day.

The next day they arrived at Starfleet Academy and gave two lectures, first to the cadets and then to the admiralty. It was there that Jim saw his mother for the first time in 7 years. Sitting among the rows of higher ups, Winona Kirk looked exactly the same. But she was smiling.

When Jim walked up to the podium, he froze. Over 100 people staring up at him, and what could he say. Glancing backwards at the other children, Jack smiled and motioned, go on. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at the admirals and told his story, or part of it. This part of the past was behind him.

She had given her parental rights when he was 8. During Mansley 3. She didn't matter anymore. He continued his speech.

Afterwards with Jackman to back him up, he answered questions from the crowd. When the blond admiral he'd been with at birth, then abandoned him heartlessly stood up and asked where he was born, Jim shakily said "I was born in space, and then taken to Iowa, but my heart belongs to everywhere. Iowa did not make me who I am. Mansley 3, T-Tarsus 4, and most of all, Pluto. They made me who I am. So my heart belongs to space."

Chasley stepped forward and took the microphone. Jim shot him a grateful look and quickly sat down.

"That is it for today. We will be in D.C for the next week and a half. The children may be attending classes for the next few days. I ask you not to pester them. Thank you."

He sat back down to thunderous applause. As the admirality began to filter filter out of the hall, the kids turned to each other and whispered "Jim. Was that your mom?" They all knew the story of Jim and Winona Kirk.

"Yeah, it was mom. It doesn't matter though. The past is the past. You're my family now. I'm gonna be fine."

Chasley smiled proudly "That's the spirit Jim. Now which classes would you like to take here at the academy for the week? You must decide now."

The kids began to list off classes they were interested in, one by one. When it came to Jim, he had a small smile as he said "Botany, Piloting, Cultural Studies, Diplomacy, and Modern Machines. Just the basics."

Jim had finished high school a week before his 14th birthday. Now he was simply living on Pluto helping with the movement and really doing nothing. At the beginning of the next semester, he would begin college. The only question was which college.

The next day, after a nice nightmare free sleep, Jim Kirk woke refreshed in a lavish hotel room with Jack. The children's meeting was funding this. The kids met that morning in the lobby and set out on the 7 minute walk to the academy.

Chasley wished them luck, told them to have fun, gave them maps, and then went to meet with some political figure.

Jim arrived at his cultural studies 10 minutes early. By the time class started, he had his ebook and a notebook out on the desk. He was scrolling down the 2nd chapter eyes racing. Sitting up front, he was soon joined by 37 19-20 year old students. This was a 2nd year class after all.

The first few moments, while Jim introduced himself were awkward. Half were looking at him like he was an adorable puppy and the other half like he was a distraction, an annoyance.

That class went by quickly. Discussing the 32nd Andorian-Talamis was was not incredibly fascinating, but it was enjoyable to be learning at such a fast pace.

His class went smoothly all day and all the students became comfortable around him. That week flew by for Jim and the other kids. The director of the Americas was endorsing the Childrens Intergalactic Peace Movement. So was a high up in the Federation. Things were moving along quickly now.

It was on his 15th birthday that Jim decided what to do. That year he went to Harvard University as an undergraduate student. He continued to work with the Movement as the earth ambassador. By age 19, he had a double master from his accelerated program. Majoring in General Engineering and Intergalactic Communications, Star Fleet took him on in a second.

His mother had retired he found. When Jim had turned 18 she had gone back to Iowa.

He had to admit, he was relieved at that.

JT, James, Jim took captain of the enterprise at age 25. He tried his hardest to always solve things peacefully and think of the children. When that didn't work, he did what he had to do. At age 27 he was still an advisor for the Children's Intergalactic Peace Movement.

James T. Kirk was a great man and James T. Kirk worked for peace.


End file.
